Is Mango Good for Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus?

Diabetes is a condition where the body cells of a person are unable to take glucose from the bloodstream due to a lack of insulin hormone in the body. On the other hand, mango is a fruit that is juicy and sweet in taste and diabetics wonder whether they are able to have mango or not.

MANGO NUTRITION BREAKDOWN

Mangifera Indica (MI) i.e., mango is thought to be excluded from your meals if you are on a weight loss journey. Is it so? Let us decide it based on its nutritive content.

A cup (150gm) of mango contains approx. 107 calories, 3gm fibre, 1gm protein and 24gm sugar. A pe

rson who is on a weight loss journey may have mango by fitting their nutrient content (according to the quantity) into their total amount of calories and fibre intake allowed per day.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF A MANGO

In some parts of the world, mango is known as the 'king of fruits'. Not only mangoes are low in calories, but there are other health benefits which are as follows: -

High in healthy plant compounds

Mangoes are packed with polyphenols as well as antioxidants to protect our body such as gallic acid, benzoic acid, catechins, and anthocyanins.

Contains immune-boosting nutrients

Mango is a good source of immune-boosting nutrients such as copper, folate, vitamin E, several B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K.

Supports heart health

Mango is a good source of heart-supporting nutrients as well such as magnesium and potassium.

May improve Digestive Health

As mango contains plenty of water and dietary fibre, it helps with digestive issues like constipation and diarrhoea.

May Support Eye Health

Two key nutrients that are present in mango i.e. Lutein and zeaxanthin, these nutrients are important as they are concentrated at the centre of the retina to act as natural sun blockers and hence, protect our eyes. Also, Mongo is a good source of vitamin A that supports eye health.

May help in lowering the risk of certain cancers

Mangoes are high in polyphenols that help to protect against a harmful process called oxidative stress which leads to many types of cancers. So, polyphenols have anticancer properties.

HOW DOES MANGO'S GLYCEMIC INDEX IMPACT YOUR HEALTH?

The glycaemic index measures how quickly a food can make the blood sugar (glucose) level rise. It is measured with a scale of 100. Foods are ranked accordingly based on their scientific tests.

Foods are divided into 3 categories based on their GI.:

• Low GI: - 1 to 55

• Medium GI: - 56 to 69

• High GI: - 70 or above

Foods having low GI are preferred as compared to foods having high GI as low GI foods convert blood sugar levels slowly as compared to the foods having high GI.

Since the GI of mango is 51, it comes into the category of low GI food. But that also does not mean to consume mango as much as we can. Everything should be consumed in control and the rest of the meals should be balanced accordingly.

MYTH OR TRUTH:

DOES MANGO AFFECT BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS?

As mango is a low-GI food, it does not have much effect on blood glucose levels. Still, it does not mean to have mango in meals as much as a person wants to have it. Mango when taken in excess quantity, can increase the blood sugar levels of a person. In order to include mango in your meals, do not forget to fit it into your daily carbohydrate intake.

HOW TO CONSUME MANGOES SMARTLY?

Mango can be included in the meals of a person even if the person is diabetic. Some points to be kept in mind while including mango in the meal.: -

Portion control

The level of diabetes (Hba1c test) varies from person to person. Based upon that and their allowed total carbohydrate intake accordingly, a person can have mango in their meals. A person should consult his/her nutrition expert regarding it instead of having it on their own. A person can avoid having other carbs rich meals while having mangoes.

Protein intake

Mango can be paired up with protein (milk, boiled eggs) in order to as it help lower the blood glucose level

Get blood test check

A person should get his blood sugar level checked before including mangoes in his meals.

Mango is a fruit that is on the favourite list of almost everyone. Some wonder whether diabetic people are able to include mangoes in their diet or not. Though mango is sweet in nature, they are packed with many vitamins and minerals which leads to many health benefits.

Even a diabetic person can enjoy having mango in their meals, but the condition that applies here is portion control.

Excess of everything is bad for us. This only, a diabetic person also can enjoy mango in a fixed quantity (depending upon their condition of diabetes) and by pairing up mango with a protein source as it will not allow mango to spike up blood glucose level.